


It's Not A Proposal

by sylvermist



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Accidental Proposal, Alternate Universe, Attempt at Humor, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Getting Together, Kageyama Tobio is So Done, M/M, The Proposal AU, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29658207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylvermist/pseuds/sylvermist
Summary: Kageyama Tobio works as an assistant slash secretary for Oikawa Tooru, the renowned lead editor of one of the biggest publishing companies in Tokyo. When he applied for the job, Tobio didn’t expect that his initially charming looking boss would at some point manifest himself into such an insufferable pain in the ass, and he sure as hell didn’t expect that his job would entail marrying said boss against his will.Of course, no harm will be done because it’s all just a business deal.Right?
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 40
Kudos: 181





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching The Proposal for the nth time yesterday then BOOM, this fic happened. 
> 
> This is my first time posting anything for the Haikyuu fandom so I hope I did the characters some justice at least. Also, you may find some of the things here inaccurate but please pretend they do for the sake of the plot.

Tobio is late.

It’s Friday morning and Tobio woke up late, because last night his dumbass of a best friend Hinata decided to forcefully drag him out of the comfort of his bed to a small get-together their college friends threw at the bar, one which Tobio distinctively remembered telling him he would _not_ be attending since, _come on, it’s a Thursday night for Christ's sake,_ and he has an eight o’clock meeting he absolutely cannot miss in the following morning. Hinata was having none of it though and made it his literal mission to get his so-called _socially stunted_ ass out of his apartment no matter what.

And look where it got him now. One of these days, Tobio is going to strangle Hinata to death.

It’s already reaching ten minutes to eight and he still needs to make a stop at his regular Starbucks to pick up his boss’ morning coffee. A long line is already forming in this busy morning but Yachi, bless her beautiful soul, waves him over with his order all ready in her hands. Tobio ignores the collective groans coming from the people waiting in the queue as he easily cuts the line.

“Here you go, two grande cups of extra sweet caramel machiato with extra caramel syrup and extra creamer.” The blonde barista smiled sunnily, handing over the cups. 

Tobio could barely suppress his cringe as he picks them up, nodding gratefully at Yachi. “Thanks, Yachi-san.”

“Have a good day, Kageyama-kun!”

Tobio barely registers her words as he nearly sprints to his office building. In his rush to get inside the stuffy elevator, he bumps into someone and knocks one of the cups off his hand, the brown liquid instantly soiling his crisp white shirt.

“Jesus— _fuck!_ Watch where you’re going, dumbass!” he barks angrily at the guy, making the shorter man visibly flinch and mutter a hasty apology.

Tobio scowls at the man before looking down at his shirt, now completely ruined. The meeting is starting in less than two minutes and Oikawa, the god of perfectionist he is, detests unpunctuality and incompetency—nevermind the fact that the editor himself likes to arrive what he calls _fashionably late_. Unfortunately, there’s nothing Tobio could do about this sticky situation.

Tobio arrives at his floor with only seconds to spare. He all but drops his bag onto his desk without caring if it lands correctly and disposes the empty coffee cup into the trash bin. After hastily grabbing the necessary files, he immediately power walks to the meeting room, breathing a relieved sigh at the sight of the familiar faces of his colleagues but not his boss. He places the remaining cup of coffee on the head of the table where Oikawa usually sits before plopping down on his own seat.

“What happened to your shirt?” Kindaichi whispers from his left.

“Bumped into someone and spilled _his_ coffee,” Tobio mutters, feeling annoyed all over again.

“So you’re giving _him_ a half empty cup of coffee?”

“Of course not. I gave him mine.”

His colleague is looking at him weirdly. “Why would you think he wants to drink whatever it is you drink?”

Tobio eye-rolls impatiently. “Because I ordered the same thing as he does.”

“Huh, what a crazy coincidence,” Kindaichi muses, seeming to mull over something in his head. “Unless it _isn’t_. So you’re telling me you always ordered two cups of his coffee and drinks the same thing everyday just in case you spill it?” He snorts, looking amused now. “That sounds pathetic.”

“Whatever. It’s better than having to deal with his annoying whines, and they usually have a good deal for two on that one,” the assistant defends and feels the need to clarify. “And I don’t _always_ drink it, anyway. My teeth always ached from how disgustingly sweet it is.”

Kindaichi only snorts harder, being the unsympathetic asshole that he is. “Whatever you say, dude.”

“Good morning everyone!”

Oikawa Tooru’s cheery voice rings loud and clear in the confined space, flashing everyone his charming smile as he makes his grand entrance, making all eyes in the room immediately fall on him. It’s too early for this, Tobio thinks grumpily, suddenly remembering how sleep deprived he actually is. But there’s never a right time in the day when it comes to dealing with Oikawa Tooru.

“It’s almost weekend everyone, liven up! I know we’re having an absurdly early meeting, but don’t let it get in the way of this beautiful Friday! Especially you, Tobio—wait, whatever happened to your shirt?” Oikawa settles onto his seat as he scrutinized the large brown patch on his shirt with a judgmental frown.

“Um… I spilled my coffee earlier.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a clumsy Tobio-chan. Well, thank heavens you didn’t spill mine instead,” Oikawa points out, raising his own cup to his lips and starts sipping on his cursed diabetic drink he calls coffee.

Tobio feels more than sees the way Kindaichi tries to hide his smile behind his fist, letting out small coughs to cover his subtle laugh. Oh yes, what a fine Friday morning indeed. And it’s all that damn Hinata’s fault.

* * *

The rest of his day goes by relatively boring, a small reprieve after the disastrous morning that he’s had. Usually on Fridays, Oikawa would be breathing down his neck about closing the week’s target and dumping piles upon piles of paperwork onto his desk. But today he’s been pretty much calm and overall seems to be in a good mood. Tobio gives his silent thanks for small mercies.

Earlier today, Oikawa has asked him to accompany him to a meeting in one of the sister house publishing’s office. Usually, Tobio has nothing against external meetings, but he’s being constantly reminded of the nasty brown patch on his shirt every ten minutes and he’s getting rather tired of droning on his explanation to everyone he meets for the hundredth time today. If he’s going with Oikawa to that meeting, he would need to find a change of shirt.

“Hey, do you have any spare shirt?” Tobio asks as he approaches Kindaichi on his desk. 

“Nah, sorry man,” the taller man replies. At least he has the decency to look genuinely sorry. “Why don’t you ask Kunimi?”

Tobio turns to the other guy, only to find him shaking his head boredly. “I heard you. And no, I don’t have one.”

Huffing in defeat, Tobio goes back to his desk and takes out his phone. He should just call Hinata and demand him to stop by his apartment and bring him a spare clean shirt. So what if Hinata’s own workplace is forty five minutes away from here? It’s a perfectly equivalent sacrifice compared to everything Tobio’s had to endure all day.

Tobio was just about to click on his best friend’s contact on his phone when Oikawa’s head appears from his room to summon him. Pocketing the device, he quickly follows his boss to his private office, finding the older man pulling something out of his pocket.

“Could you be a dear and do me a favor? Go to my car downstairs and bring me my black Louis bag,” the editor tells him, getting out his car keys and thrusts them into his hands.

 _What the hell is a Louis bag,_ is what Tobio wants to say, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut. “Right,” he nods instead, then exits the room. Getting a single bag isn’t a complicated task that he has to ponder too much.

Turns out, Oikawa owns _three_ bags inside the trunk of his shiny and stupidly expensive mojave silver Mercedes-Benz. One of them is brown and the others are black. Tobio peers into each of its contents, not exactly sure what he’s supposed to expect but wholly unsurprised to find what must be five days worth of clothes and a pair of shoes inside them. Then he tries to differentiate between the two black bags, scraping his brain for clues.

Well, he knows for a fact that one of them is a gym bag, its content is unmistakable. Try as he might, he couldn’t think of a single reason for why his boss would want him to bring over his gym bag in the middle of a workday—it’s not like their office building owns a gym facility or anything—which leaves him with the other one, the black checkered emboss duffel bag. Feeling pretty confident with his observation, Tobio takes that one out and shuts the trunk. As he returns to the office, he makes a mental note to remember the so-called Louis bag for future references.

“That was quick,” Oikawa comments from his seat, stopping whatever work he was doing earlier to receive the bag. “I genuinely thought you didn’t know which bag I was talking about and would bring me back the wrong one. But I guess I didn’t give you enough credits, did I, Tobio-chan?”

Tobio wants to scowl at the stupid nickname and the condescending statement that hits a little too close to home. “If that’s all, excuse me, Oikawa-san—”

“Wait, I haven’t dismissed you yet! Ugh, learn to have some patience, will you?” Oikawa chides, opening the duffel bag and pulling out a baby blue dress shirt. “Here, take my shirt. It’s a little wrinkled from the folding but it’s better than having you parading around in other people’s office with a dirty shirt. You’re going to embarrass the whole company with your lack of competency like that.”

Tobio receives the shirt stiffly, feeling conflicted between scowling deeper from the insult or being thankful for the unexpectedly thoughtful gesture from his boss. “I—Thank you, Oikawa-san. Are you sure I can wear this?”

“Of course. I’m just going to cut the price out of your next paycheck.”

Tobio only gapes dumbly, making Oikawa burst in laughter.

“I’m just kidding! It’s fine. Just return it after you have it pressed and dry-cleaned from my usual laundry place. I don’t want to catch your cooties or whatever unnamed disease you probably have.”

If anything, his two years of experiences working here have taught him how to deal with childishly arrogant assholes so Tobio learned long ago to filter out seventy percent of whatever comes out of his boss’ mouth, but Tobio almost snorts at this one. For such a refined man, Oikawa sure has an _impressive_ selection of vocabularies when it comes to insulting people.

“Thank you, Oikawa-san," he says again, bowing politely before leaving the room to change. 

The shirt is undoubtedly expensive like everything else that the editor owns, Tobio thinks as he watches his reflection in the mirror, smoothing down the soft fabric under his black blazer and feeling the way it falls nicely against his figure. It’s a little bit on the longer side since Oikawa surpasses him by a few centimeters in height, but overall looks fine on him. He could even barely see the wrinkles Oikawa mentioned, but maybe that’s just Tobio’s overall lack of perceptive. His boss is known for being a crazy perfectionist for a reason.

Oikawa is already standing by Tobio’s desk by the time he reemerges from the bathroom, holding his briefcase on one hand and shouldering his duffel bag on the other, looking all set and ready to go.

“Well, don’t you look handsome now?” Oikawa coos, looking up from his phone to appraise him from head to toe. Tobio fidgets uncomfortably under such an intense gaze. “Come on, we got to get moving now or we’re going to be late.”

His boss doesn’t even give him a chance to reply, walking out of the office in a brisk pace and leaving Tobio to scramble for his belongings in haste and trails obediently after him. Even though Tobio knows for a fact that the meeting is still two hours away.

“Nice shirt, Kageyama,” Kindaichi whistles on the way and Tobio merely flips him off, earning a snicker in return. He could also see Kunimi eyeing him as he passes his desk, looking infinitely less bored now.

Tobio always hates the way his colleagues see him as if he is some kind of Oikawa’s personal lap dog, what with his personal brand of stupid nickname and everything. He doesn’t hate his job, not by a long shot. But Oikawa Tooru’s existence in his life is just what makes it harder for him to love it more.

* * *

That is not to say that Oikawa is completely horrible, Tobio thinks again as they’re currently having an impromptu lunch together at one of the bistros near their meeting location.

Tobio never claims to be able to accurately read people, but he’s known his boss for over two years now, spending a lot of time working under him and communicating with him on a daily basis—which is way more than he could say with anyone else he knows. He likes to think that he knows him pretty well, at least a bit better than most people around them.

Objectively, Oikawa Tooru is an exceptional individual. Extraordinarily charming and fiercely intelligent. He isn’t named the youngest executive editor in the corporate for nothing. He paved his way up through sheer hard work and determination, way before Tobio even was in the picture. Tobio used to look up to him so much and even kind of harbored a stupid crush on him once upon a time, which he soon gave up on after _really_ getting to know the man better three months into his job, and the fact that Oikawa is most likely straight.

Oikawa has a best friend named Iwaizumi Hajime. Tobio used to see him from time to time when he was picking up Oikawa from the office. He is one of the few people who could always get through Oikawa and is completely above any of his bullshit. Tobio used to envy their close-knitted relationship, the way they’re always so comfortable around each other and never shying away from physical touch. The closest thing he has like that is with Hinata, but that pales in comparison to their twenty years something worth of friendship. But then Iwaizumi moved to the States last summer to pursue his master’s degree and Oikawa’s overall attitude seems to dim a little since then.

Tobio thinks Oikawa is a bit lonely, that is why after Iwaizumi left, his boss seems keen to suddenly invite him to more lunch dates. Sometimes they even have lunch together thrice a week, and Oikawa would always pay for everything. Maybe it’s pushing it a bit too far for a normal boss and assistant relationship, but he thinks Oikawa’s just trying to fill the void Iwaizumi has left in his life. And Tobio lets him.

Sometimes it actually feels kind of nice to just spend time with his boss outside of office hours. Tobio is by nature a quiet person who likes to keep to himself, and Oikawa seems to balance that by filling the gaps in their conversations, leaving Tobio to just follow his lead and listen.

“This salmon is pretty good,” Oikawa says as he picks on his meal, letting out an appreciative hum as he chews on it. His dish costs as much as a regular person two days meal, Tobio would be more surprised if it _doesn’t_ taste good.

“So, what’s your plan for this weekend?”

Tobio shrugs. “It’s my mom’s birthday this Sunday so I’m planning to go back to my hometown,” he explains through a mouthful of pasta. He doesn’t like the food selection all that much, but Oikawa’s paying so he doesn’t have much of a choice in that matter.

Oikawa grimaces. “Ew, how many times have I told you to stop doing that? Learn some manners, you absolute caveman. It’s not that hard.”

“Sorry,” Tobio replies instinctively, flushing when he realizes he just did the same thing again and moves to cover his mouth.

“Honestly, you’re hopeless, Tobio-chan,” the brunet sighs tiredly, shaking his head. “Anyway, you’re going back to your parents’ house? Where was it again? Kyoto?”

“Miyagi,” he corrects, this time making sure to swallow his food first. “It’s a prefecture in Tohoku, about two hours—”

“Yeah, I know where it is, idiot. Just because I was born and bred in Tokyo doesn’t mean I don’t know where other places are.”

“Oh,” Tobio says for lack of better things to say.

Oikawa huffs, playing with the salmon on his plate. “It must be nice, though. I’ve been here all my life and I rarely get to travel anywhere outside of business trips.”

“Really? What about family vacations?”

“Not really. Both of my parents were workaholics growing up so we didn’t get to travel much.” Oikawa shrugs, pausing to chew on his salmon before scowling deeply. “And now they have all the time in the world to go traveling or whatever and yet they choose to spend it by setting me up with every men or women they know. It’s like they can’t even settle down without seeing me get married first. Cut me some slack, Jesus, I’m still twenty eight.”

Tobio couldn’t say that he relate to that. His parents never put any kind of pressure or certain expectations on him. As long as he’s happy then they’ll be happy, simple as that. But more importantly— “Wait, you’re bisexual?”

Oikawa stills his movement, raising his eyebrow. “Yeah? It’s not like I hide it or whatever. Got a problem with that, Tobio-chan?”

Far from it actually, Tobio thinks. “N-No. Not at all,” is what he says.

“Good, because I don’t tolerate that sort of behavior in my office.” Oikawa finishes the last of his meal before checking his watch. “It’s already ten past two. We should wrap this up now if we don’t want to be late.”

Tobio quickly finishes his meal while Oikawa takes care of the bill. Throughout their walk to the office building to the moment they sit down to begin the meeting, Tobio’s mind seems to narrow down to the fact that Oikawa _is not_ straight as he thought he was. Frankly, he doesn’t remember much from the meeting. The only thing he remembers thinking is what would his younger self have done had he learned of this fact _much_ sooner.

* * *

The meeting ends up running later than expected. By the time they stepped out of the building it was already nearing five.

Oikawa was driving them back to the office to drop Tobio off when his phone suddenly rings. He quickly accepts the call through the car’s Bluetooth. “Hello? Mom?”

_“Hi, dear. Are you busy now?”_

“Nope, I’m done for the day. Just on my way back from a meeting.”

_“That’s good. I was meeting my old friend in a café not far from your office earlier. But she’s left now, and I want you to join me. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”_

“Okay, sure. Is everything alright, mom?”

_“Everything’s fine, Tooru, don’t worry. I’ll text you the address. I’ll see you soon?”_

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

The call ends. A moment later, a message pops up on Oikawa’s phone with the address of the café. “Tobio-chan, it seems that I can’t make it back to the office. The detour would take too long and I can’t keep my mom waiting,” he says, glancing at the map. “I’m going to drop you off at the café, okay? It’s not that far from the office, anyway.”

Tobio nods. “It’s fine, Oikawa-san.”

Oikawa pulls up in front of a nice looking café ten minutes later, ushering Tobio out of his car with a careless farewell that feels more like a dismissal before driving off to park his car in the basement. The place is indeed not far from his office. The distance is probably only fifteen minutes away by foot, much to Tobio’s relief. He starts to walk down the streets, stopping by a konbini on the way to buy himself a drink. When he was reaching inside his pocket for his wallet, he quickly realizes that it’s not there.

Shit. It must have fallen out of his pocket during the car ride.

Cursing his luck, he cancels his purchase and shoots a text to his boss, politely informing that he will be coming back for his wallet. By the time Tobio arrives back at the café, there’s still no reply from the older man so he decides to just go in and look for him.

The café itself isn’t big which makes it easy to spot the familiar tuft of brown hair that he sees daily, sitting in front of an older woman he now recognizes as Oikawa’s mother. Their eyes meet, and Oikawa looks momentarily surprised before hastily waving him over. Confused, Tobio steals a glance at his phone to make sure, finding no new text from Oikawa, before making his way over.

Tobio bows. “I’m very sorry to interrupt your time, Oikawa-san, but—”

“Mom, I’d like you to meet Kageyama Tobio,” Oikawa says, cutting through anything he wants to say, standing up from his seat and grabbing his arm firmly. “My fiancé.”

All the chatter and sounds in the world feels like they died completely as Oikawa says those words. Tobio blinks. Once. Twice.

_What._

What the _fuck_ did Oikawa just say?

_Fiancé?_

As in _engaged?_

With _who?!_

Tobio turns to Oikawa, ready to protest when the hold around his arm tightens painfully. _Play along,_ he seems to say. The assistant almost fails to suppress the grimace on his face.

“Oh my, what a handsome young man! I can’t believe you never introduced us before!” The older woman gushes, her face is practically brimming with happiness as she turns to him. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Kageyama-kun. I’m Oikawa Nanako, Tooru’s mother. Please, do take seat.”

Tobio bows stiffly at her before letting his boss pulls him down to sit. His mind is still reeling. It feels like he’s trapped in a weird dream. That would certainly make more sense than learning the fact that you’re _unknowingly engaged to your boss._ Yeah, that’s got to be it. If he wakes up now he’s going to find himself back in the comfort of Oikawa’s expensive leather car seats, getting reprimanded for accidentally dozing off while his boss is driving.

“When did you propose, Tooru? Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Oikawa Nanako continues, crushing any and all of Tobio’s hopes of finding the whole situation to be a bizarre dream.

“It’s still brand new, mom. Don’t worry. I asked him last week,” Oikawa answers smoothly, and Tobio almost yelps when he suddenly kicks him on the shin. “Tobio here is a bit shy so I’m still putting off introducing you guys.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I’m glad that we finally meet now.” The woman smiles again, looking all too happy that it makes something in his gut twist. “Silly Tooru here only ever mentioned you in passing. But I heard you are his secretary?”

“Assistant,” Tobio corrects absentmindedly.

Oikawa snorts. “Don’t call him that, mom. He’s a little sensitive about that.”

“Oh, sorry dear. I wouldn’t make that mistake if Tooru told me in advance. That boy never tells me anything anymore,” Oikawa Nanako stares pointedly at her only son, which he replies with a sheepish smile.

The mother and son continue with their banter in the background, but Tobio barely registers any of it. His surrounding seems to blur together into one big blotch of mixed colors with no lines to differentiate anything anymore. He thinks the older woman asked him another question, but his boss seems ready to answer any and all questions thrown in his stead, while Tobio just sits there in a daze. He can’t even figure out what’s real and what’s not anymore.

* * *

That evening, once they are back in Oikawa’s car again after having dropped off his mother at her house, Tobio turns to his boss, looks him straight in the eye and asks very seriously, “Oikawa-san, what in the actual fuck is happening?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it here, congrats! Thank you for giving this fic a chance! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoy writing it!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "With due respect, Oikawa-san. This weekend I'm not your assistant, but your fucking fiancé.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can tell how lazy I am by how shamelessly similar the whole plot is compared to the actual movie.
> 
> This chapter contains: 80% Oikage banters, abuse of italics word usage, and stupidly excessive usage of the word ‘stupid’.

Working under Oikawa for over two years has pushed the boundaries of Tobio’s patience to a degree he didn’t even know existed, let alone capable of possessing. Even then, Oikawa never fails to find new ways to stretch those boundaries even further. The company pays well for his job, but even that still doesn’t cover the mental capacity he has to possess in order to put up with his boss’ antics on a daily basis. But _this?_ This is bullshit on a whole new level, the cherry on top of it all.

Oikawa had called it a _business deal,_ as if it is a mutually beneficial agreement that comes willingly from both parties, sane and conscious. Tobio doesn’t even know what he would gain from this except a massive impending headache coming his way.

“Tobio, you _have_ to help me! My mom was going to set me up with Ushiwaka and I hate that guy!” His boss wails, the high pitch of his voice sounds three times more annoying inside the confines of his car. “He’s actually even worse than you! Can you believe that?”

“How is this any of my problems?!”

“Obviously, you work for me so that makes my problems _your_ problems.”

“…That’s not how it works, Oikawa-san. Besides, this isn’t work-related problems!”

Oikawa pouts childishly. “I can still fire you, you know.”

Tobio stares at him, unimpressed. “Are you seriously blackmailing me? Fire me on what grounds?”

“Insubordination, obviously.”

“Fine. That just saves me the trouble. Good luck with your problems, Oikawa-san.” Tobio tries to open the car door, but Oikawa’s long arm immediately reaches over to pull it close again with a whiny _“Nooo.”_

Slumping back onto his seat, Tobio folds his arms and shoots his boss his most potent glare, one which usually has Hinata scrambling away for his life.

Oikawa holds out his hands placatingly like he’s taming a rabid dog on the loose. “Alright, let’s discuss this in a more proper and civilized manner.” He waits a few seconds until he’s sure Tobio has calmed down, before saying, “Name your price.”

The assistant snorts loudly. “That’s your idea of being civil? Bribing me?”

“Just spill it, Tobio-chan!”

“I don’t want your money!”

“That’s not—” Oikawa stops to suck in a deep breath before letting them out slowly. He looks like he’s seconds away from committing murder. “I didn’t mean it literally, you oaf. Just tell me what you want.”

 _Oh,_ that makes Tobio pause. It’s not everyday that you get the chance to have the great Oikawa Tooru in your debt, so he tries to think long and hard about what he could possibly get out of this man that could make this sacrifice even remotely worth it. And when he does, the answer comes easily to him. “Firstly, I want you to drop that stupid nickname you gave me.”

Oikawa raises an eyebrow. “Which one? Oaf?”

His boss is seriously testing him. He grits his teeth, _“No,_ the one you attach to my name.”

“Tobio-chan?”

“Yes, _that._ Drop it.”

“Done. Well, that was eas—”

“ _Secondly,”_ Tobio presses, cutting through Oikawa’s momentary relief. “I want you to publish my manuscript and promote me to an editor.”

Oikawa gapes at him, and maybe Tobio is getting an unbridled satisfaction from finally being able to turn the tables on his normally pompous ass.

“Absolutely not.” The brunet shakes his head firmly. “Nope. No way.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re my assistant! You’re supposed to be working for me and me only!”

Tobio folds his arms again and stares hard. “Do you still want my help or not?”

Oikawa seems to be having a rapid internal debate with himself, before finally declaring—or more like spitting—after a long minute, “Fine! I’ll publish your manuscript and make you a goddamn editor. Happy?”

“Good.” Tobio nods firmly. “And lastly, I want you to ask me nicely.”

“Ask you what?”

“To marry you. Nicely.”

There is a pause in the air, long enough that Tobio is starting to second guess his final request when Oikawa suddenly holds out his hand in front of him. Confused, Tobio just stares at it.

“Give me your hand,” Oikawa says, wriggling his fingers expectantly. Tobio places his hand against the open palm unsurely, feeling the way his boss’ fingers clasped around his and hating the way his entire posture instantly goes rigid. Oikawa looks him straight in the eye, hazel gaze meets midnight blue. “Kageyama Tobio, will you give me the honor of marrying you?”

 _Oh, shit._ This isn’t how it supposed to happen. The last request was obviously just a joke and Oikawa isn’t supposed to take it seriously and looking so damn _good_ and _suave_ while doing it. And it certainly should _not_ make his heart beat this embarrassingly fast. Tobio has completely forgotten the fact that his stupid and whiny boss is also a charmer extraordinaire, known for being a total ladies man and definitely knows his way around people regardless of their gender. And right now, he’s fallen prey for those exact charms.

Tobio almost feels like he’s twenty four again; a brand new employee with only two years of prior professional working experience under his belt, meeting this gorgeous looking man who’s going to be his boss for the next two years of his life. And that’s _not good._

Tobio snatches his hand back as if it’s on fire and clears his throat, all the while willing his heartbeat to slow down. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.”

“Well, aren’t you a romantic?” Oikawa rolls his eyes, clearly displeased with his response after having taken his request seriously. But Tobio ignores it. Any second longer would have been bad for his treacherous heart.

“So, what happens now?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” His boss says as he starts driving again. The car moves smoothly under the guide of Tokyo city lights. “I’m coming with you to Miyagi! Aren’t you excited to spend the weekend with your amazing boss?”

Tobio could practically feel his lifespan shorten in that instant. “ _What?!_ Why?”

Oikawa chuckles, as if Tobio is the one who is stupid and proposed crazy ideas and makes absolutely no sense in the last five hours. “Well, we have to keep up the charade. My mom already knows you’re going anyway, and it makes no sense for me to not come with you when we have a _special news_ we supposedly have to tell your parents.”

The assistant exhales loudly and slumps onto his seat, already regretting his life decisions and the day he was born. “Why did I even agree to this?” He mutters to himself, falling into a pit of self-pity.

“Hey, don’t you realize that anyone would kill to be in your shoes right now? Clearly, I’m a catch,” Oikawa says without an ounce of shame, gesturing to his own body to emphasize his point. “With my position, salary and good looks, what more could you ask from a guy?”

“A better personality perhaps,” Tobio says dryly. 

And Oikawa has the gall to gasp. “Rude, Tobio!”

* * *

They meet again at the train station at six thirty in the following morning. Oikawa arrives wearing a stylish leather jacket complete with sunglasses, and is bringing with him a large suitcase that fits more for a week-long trip instead of two days.

This man is ridiculous, Tobio thinks as they board the shinkansen, going straight for the gran class section because, _of course_ Oikawa wouldn’t settle for less than something like a twenty thousand yen seat on a train ride that would only take about ninety minutes long. Even more ridiculous is when he dares to ask Tobio to help him with his stupidly big suitcase because it’s _too heavy._

“With due respect, Oikawa-san. This weekend I’m not your assistant, but your fucking fiancé,” Tobio only says with his most deadpan stare.

Oikawa gives him a nasty scowl, muttering something about incompetent workers and insolent brats, while Tobio merely sits back and watches haughtily as his boss struggles to fit his suitcase into the overhead compartment.

Well, maybe he _is_ getting something good out of this agreement. On top of his weekend entertainment, the seats here are _heavenly,_ and they serve delicious foods and drinks for their premium first class passengers. And to top it all, Tobio gets to travel home in luxury without having to pay for a single yen. This is all Oikawa’s fault anyway. Tobio would have gladly taken his usual economy class seat and paid for it himself if it wasn’t for his boss’ persistence to uphold his exorbitant tastes.

“We need get to know each other before we meet your parents,” Oikawa suddenly says as they eat. “And we need to get our stories straight about the proposal.”

“What’s wrong with the one in the car?”

Oikawa clicks his tongue and looks at his food as if it’s wronged him. “That was literally the least romantic proposal ever. You see, Tobio, people see me and they set a certain expectation on me, and I can’t let them down by telling the story of a sudden half-assed marriage proposal in the car.”

Tobio just shrugs. He thinks Oikawa is overthinking everything. “I think it was fine. My parents won’t really care either way.”

The brunet huffs, folding his arms petulantly. “You just don’t get it.”

“Yeah, I don’t. I think you’re just thinking too much,” the assistant replies, finishing his meal and everything they have to offer. Who knows when he’d be able to afford such luxuries again?

“Fine. Whatever. I’ll just make up something on the spot and you just have to follow my lead, okay?”

Tobio rolls his eyes, knowing his boss would just say something stupidly extravagant to make himself look good.

There’s a lull in the conversation as Oikawa finishes his meal. His boss seems to ponder something as he looks at his plate, before turning to Tobio and asks, “What’s your favorite food?”

“Um…” he tries to think, because he generally likes all food except the Western styled ones Oikawa likes to get him to eat during their weekly lunches sometimes. “I like curry and gyudon.”

“What about drinks?”

“Yogurt and milk.”

Oikawa snorts. “What are you, twelve?”

And Tobio flushes. “Shut up. They’re good.”

“Sure,” his boss hums, smiling in a way that’s obvious he is going to tease him about it later. “Do you know what’s mine?”

“Overpriced sushi and chawanmushi. And the milk bread from the konbini across the office, for some reason,” Tobio says without missing a beat. “Your favorite drink is definitely that diabetic coffee you make me buy every morning.”

Oikawa looks positively affronted. “Tobio! How dare you disrespect my coffee!” 

“It looks very unhealthy, Oikawa-san. I think you should see a doctor.”

“I’ll have you know that I hit the gym for three hours a day almost every day, so I know I am perfectly healthy, thank you very much,” Oikawa says, jutting his chin up. Then he seems to consider something as he looks at him with pursed lips. Somehow, he seems to take Tobio’s earlier answer as a challenge to quiz him further. “What about my favorite color?”

Well, Tobio is pretty confident with his knowledge of anything Oikawa Tooru, so he accepts the challenge head on. “Aqua blue.”

“The name of my first cat?”

“You didn’t have one. You’re allergic to cat’s fur.”

“What sport did I play in high school?”

“Volleyball. You were the captain in your third year with Iwaizumi-san as your vice.”

“Biggest pet peeve?”

“Slow drivers and people who chew with their mouth open.”

The way Oikawa tilts his head and squints his eyes makes Tobio feels smug. But of course, Oikawa has to ruin the moment by opening his stupid mouth. “What are you, some kind of creepy stalker or something?”

“What the hell,” Tobio splutters, losing all trace of smugness. “I’m your _assistant,_ Oikawa-san.”

“A normal assistant wouldn’t know all of those things,” he accuses, folding his arms.

“A normal boss wouldn’t be a loudmouth,” Tobio shoots back defiantly. “You literally told me all those things yourself.”

Oikawa gasps loudly, looking scandalized. “Who taught you to sass? What happened to my adorably stupid assistant?!”

Shrugging, Tobio just says, “He became your fiancé.”

* * *

They arrive at Sendai Station fairly quickly, at ten minutes to nine to be precise. Sometimes when Tobio comes home with Hinata, Tsukishima or Yamaguchi would already be waiting there to pick them up. But today, they are taking a cab because there is no way in hell would Tobio let either of them— _least of all Tsukishima—_ learn the fact that he suddenly got roped into _marrying_ the one man they all know Tobio despises. The salty tall blonde would no doubt have a field day if he find out, so Tobio decided to purposely neglect to inform his high school friends of his arrival.

Throughout the journey, Oikawa keeps asking him trivial facts about himself since, evidently, his boss is clearly the one who needs to put more effort into getting to know the other in this. Tobio answers each and every question patiently, even when his boss makes fun of his answers. It’s a testament of how much his patience has grown over the years and how well-versed he is in handling Oikawa as a person. 

“What are your parents like? What should I expect from them?” Oikawa asks as they’re nearing Tobio’s old neighborhood. He’s taking this as seriously as a he would for a business meeting.

“Uh… Nothing, I guess? They’re nothing special.”

Oikawa snorts. “Wow. You’re a lovely child, aren’t you? Your parents must be happy to hear you talk so highly of them.”

Realizing his mistake, Tobio quickly amends, “I mean they’re nothing special as far as parents go. I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Sure thing, Tobio-chan.”

“I told you to drop that stupid nickname,” Tobio scowls.

“And this will be the last time I say it. I swear to god.” Oikawa mimics a heart crossing gesture to prove his seriousness, which is ruined by the mischievous grin he has on his face. “But seriously, there won’t be any problems, right? I take it you’ve come out to your parents?”

The assistant shrugs. “I never said anything to them, but they seem to know anyway. My mom sounded completely fine with it when I told her on the phone.”

“Good.” Oikawa nods, then grins. “At least I made the right choice in that matter.”

Tobio’s only answer is to scowl deeper.

His parents are already expecting them by the time they arrive at his childhood house. His mother hugs him tightly and kisses his cheek, while his father stands back and smiles. With how much hours Oikawa is making him work regularly, Tobio doesn’t get to go home that often, only on special occasions sometimes.

“And you must be Oikawa-kun,” his mother says, smiling warmly at his boss. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Tobio has never brought home anyone before.”

“Oh?” Oikawa raises his eyebrows, glancing at Tobio with an amused smile, and he could feel the way his cheeks redden. Taking his boss out of all the people in the world to meet his parents has surely never been a part of his life plans. “Well, the pleasure is all mine, Kageyama-san.” 

“Oh please, call me Reina,” she says kindly and gestures to the older man. “And this is my husband, Hiroshi.”

His father, being a man of few words, only smiles and nods. Oikawa returns the smile and bows courteously. “Pleasure to meet you, Hiroshi-san.”

“Why don’t you take Oikawa-kun to your room, Tobio? Both of you can put your things and settle down a bit while I prepare some tea.”

“Oh, that’s alright, Reina-san. I already booked a hotel near—”

“Nonsense!” His mother waves him off, making his boss clamps his mouth shut. “Miwa and her husband won’t be here until tomorrow so you can use her room. Even then, Tobio can set up the spare futon in his room. Just relax and make yourself at home.”

The smile Oikawa offers looks a bit stiffer this time, but he still nods politely and thanks them for their hospitality. “Cancel the reservation,” his boss hisses to him as soon as they are out of earshot.

Tobio leads them upstairs to his old bedroom. It’s been a while since he was here and it feels a little weird. By now, he is so used to his life back at Tokyo that seeing the room where he grew up in feels stranger than it was familiar.

Realizing something, the assistant turns to face his boss. “I think it’s better if I take my sister’s room. She doesn’t like it when someone else mess with her things.”

Oikawa raises an eyebrow. “Are you implying that I’m messy?”

“No, she’s just very particular with her stuff. Especially to a stranger.”

The brunet puts a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. “Ouch. I’m your _fiancé,_ Tobio.”

Tobio only rolls his eyes. “Same difference.”

Oikawa goes to place his suitcase by the desk on the corner of his room. When he crouches down to unpack it, his eyes found something underneath the desk and he gasps. “You played volleyball too?!”

Tobio puts down his bag as well and bends down to follow his line of vision, finding the sight of his old white, red and green volleyball. It’s a little dirty from use and its color has faded a bit from age. “Oh, yeah I did.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? What position did you play?”

“I played setter.”

His boss raises his eyebrows. “Well, what are the odds? I played setter too! We should play together while we’re here!”

It would probably be nice, Tobio thinks. It would certainly be interesting to see Oikawa out of his usual element, sweaty and dressed in sport gears instead of the expensive crisp suits he wears to the office. “Sure. We can play tomorrow morning.”

The smile the brunet gives him is unlike any smiles he’s ever seen on his handsome face before, and Tobio has seen plenty. His boss’ smile could look charming, polite, challenging, pleased, sneaky, or even daunting. But right now, he looks genuinely happy and excited. And it’s such a good look on him that it makes him look several years younger than he really is. Tobio briefly imagines a much younger Oikawa as the captain of his volleyball team, smiling like that alongside Iwaizumi as they lead their team towards victory.

His thoughts have started to wander too far, so he clears his throat to put a stop to it. Tobio mumbles something about going to the bathroom and promptly leaves without waiting for a reply.

* * *

“So, how did you two meet?” His mother asks as they gather around the dining table for tea. His father has left them to tend the garden, something he enjoys doing in his free time.

“Tobio and I work together,” Oikawa answers, thanking her for the tea.

His mother hums with a pondering look before turning to him. “Tobio, didn’t you say your boss’ name is Oikawa too?”

The assistant fidgets in his seat. “Um… Yeah, this is him.”

Realization and understanding seems to dawn on her face, her eyebrows raised as her gaze flickers between the two of them. Then she chuckles, “I’m so sorry, Oikawa-kun. Tobio was being very vague on the phone, so I wasn’t aware that he would be bringing his boss with him!”

Oikawa chuckles as well. “It’s alright, Reina-san. I hope this doesn’t make you think differently of me.”

“No, no, I’m just surprised is all. I wouldn’t have guessed that Tobio’s boss would be such a handsome young man!” She gushes, making Oikawa grin bashfully. “How long have you two been dating?”

“Six months.” His boss glances at Tobio before continuing, “Actually, there’s a reason Tobio brought me here today.”

Tobio has never been good at lying because he rarely felt the need to. But right now, he looks at his mother in the eye and braces himself to tell her the biggest lie in the history of his lifetime, “We’re going to get married, mom.”

His mother covers her mouth with both of her hands, her eyes sparkling in surprise and pure joy, and Tobio feels like the worst child a parent could possibly have. Damn his stupid boss and his stupidly awful ideas.

“Hiroshi! Come inside, dear!” She calls for her husband, and the older man appears seconds later, his hands lightly covered in dirt. After quickly washing his hands, he joins them on the table by his mother’s side. Grinning, his mother looks back at him expectantly. “Go on, Tobio! Tell your father.”

His eyes meet his father’s and he couldn’t resist gulping before opening his mouth again, “Oikawa-san and I are getting married, dad.”

His father’s eyes widen imperceptibly, eyebrows raised in clear surprise. “So soon? I thought the two of you only started dating recently?”

“Six months,” Tobio clarifies, feeling small under his father’s intense gaze. “It’s just that… Oikawa-san asked me last week and I said yes.”

Oikawa nods and smiles. “I know it’s a bit soon, but I love Tobio very much and I think we’re ready for this next step. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him,” he says, gazing at him in a way that looks almost—dare he say— _fondly_.

Tobio almost balks at his unexpectedly sweet words, looking down to his lap to break the gaze. His cheeks instantly warming up because _Oikawa_ _is so stupid!_ How could he say all of those things so casually? As if they’re in a genuine relationship built upon love and trust instead of bribery and plain _business deal._ Tobio wants to groan at it all. This agreement is going to cause serious damage to his heart.

“You seem like a good young man. I’m sure Tobio is lucky to have you in his life,” his mother says, looking at them fondly. Her mouth stretches into a smile so wide Tobio worries she’ll strain her facial muscles. “How did you propose? You seem to be the romantic type, Oikawa-kun.”

Tobio could practically _feel_ the way his boss lights up at the question. Completely disregarding his boss’ initial order, he decides to quickly take action. “It happened when Oikawa-san was driving me home from work. He stopped me from getting out of the car to propose,” Tobio simply explains, cutting off any dramatic stories Oikawa has prepared on the tip of his tongue, knowing it would only take too long and would do nothing but complicate things. And really, they’ve told enough lies to his parents to last a lifetime. There’s no need to season it more.

His boss turns to him with a forced smile and his eyes spell murder, and Tobio just looks back at him and shrugs because _it is what it is._ And yeah okay, maybe it’s also payback for getting him all flustered earlier.

“That’s so sweet,” the older woman coos, turning to her husband. But he only gives the both of them a considering look. “I think celebrations are in order! We could celebrate both my birthday and the engagement tomorrow!” 

Oikawa nods in agreement. “I think that’s a great idea.”

Tobio fidgets in his seat, suddenly feeling a strong urge to get out of there. “Um… I’m going to take Oikawa-san out for a walk. It’s his first time here in Miyagi,” he blurts out the first excuse that comes to his mind.

“Alright, take your time dear. I’m going to prepare lunch for when you two return,” his mother says, getting up from her seat and leaves to the kitchen.

His father opens his mouth to say something, then seems to reconsider, before eventually settling with a nod. “Congratulations, son. I’m happy for you,” he says, then leaves the room to return to the garden.

“Come on.” Tobio tugs on his boss’ arm and drags him out of the house into the serene streets of his old neighborhood. Everything feels so different here compared to Tokyo, where his days are filled with the endless bustling sounds of the city life. Sometimes Tobio misses the peace and quiet this place has to offer.

“Really, Tobio? Take me for a walk? Do you think I’m a dog or—”

“Oikawa-san,” Tobio cuts him off, turning to his boss and letting go of his arm. “How far are we going with this?”

Oikawa blinks. “You’re asking this _now?_ You really _do_ dive headfirst into everything without much thought, don’t you?”

“Oikawa-san…” He prods impatiently.

The editor pauses, then sighs. “Just… for a little longer, okay? It’s not like I’m going to force you to marry me for real, god no. Marriages don’t happen overnight, they usually take months or even a year of preparations. So I was thinking that we could get a nice and clean breakup during that time, preferably two months after we break the news.”

Tobio thinks about it and frowns. “But what happens after that? How would that stop your mom from setting you up with the next person?”

“I’m a pretty good actor. I can make it seem like I’m too heartbroken with our breakup to convince my parents to get off my back for a while longer.”

Sighing, the assistant starts to walk again. “This thing better works,” he grumbles in annoyance.

“Tch. Don’t talk like you’re not getting the better end out of this deal,” Oikawa sneers, falling into step next to him.

“Well, well. If it isn’t His Majesty himself, the King of the Court.”

Tobio’s head whips around so fast he sees stars dotting his vision at the sound of voice that is so unmistakably familiar to his ears. Tobio wants to groan at the sight of the _absolute last person_ he wants to see right now.

Tsukishima Kei is standing there in all his 190 centimeters glory with a smirk that seems to be plastered permanently onto his face. His gaze flickers between the two of them, and says, “What the hell are you doing here?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tobio suffers but is secretly enjoying it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added the chapters count because I didn’t expect that I would be setting a snail-like pace for this fic. I should’ve known better, really. 
> 
> Also, English isn’t my first language so please bear with me for any grammatical mistakes or strange wordings you may have found or about to find.

Tobio likes to think he is a good person. At least, good enough that he thinks he doesn’t deserve any of the misfortunes happening to him lately. All this time, he only associates bad lucks with being under the same roof as Oikawa back at Tokyo, but apparently it seems keen to follow him around even all the way to his hometown.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Tobio shoots back defensively. Maybe that’s not the smartest thing to say, but it’s practically just a knee jerk reaction now to grow defensive whenever he’s around Tsukishima.

The tall blonde raises an eyebrow. “In case Your Majesty forgot, I actually _live_ around the block. Or are you so high up on your throne now you forgot the existence of us peasants beneath you?”

Tobio wishes he could claw at Tsukishima’s eyes, hating the way he’s always rendered speechless by the blonde’s salty remarks. While he could handle Oikawa alright with all his arrogance and prissy attitude, this stupidly tall and snarky blonde is a different entity altogether. The fact that they’ve been friends for over a decade now doesn’t mean that Tobio is suddenly well equipped to deal with this bastard. Tobio isn’t anything like Yamaguchi with his calming presence, or even Hinata who is all loud and happy without a care in the world.

 _“Your Majesty?_ What are you, some kind of Miyagi royalty or something?” Oikawa is looking at them with interest, and oh, Tobio almost forgot he’s there.

“Shut up, Oikawa-san. Not now.” 

“Hold up, you’re Oikawa? _The_ Oikawa Tooru?”

Oikawa preens at being addressed in such way and grins charmingly. “Yep, that’s me. I see Tobio has been spreading words about me back home.”

Tsukishima snickers, probably remembering the drunken confessions about his high maintenance boss that Tobio may or may not have made during one of their reunions last year. “You have _no_ idea.”

“Oikawa-san, we _have_ to go,” Tobio urges, grabbing his boss by the elbow to get him moving.

“Not even a hello? That’s cold, King,” Tsukishima sneers, folding his arms. “But I guess now that you’re no longer a small town boy you prefer to spend time with your fellow Tokyo socialites, huh.”

Oikawa frowns, looking offended now. “What’s your problem, Four Eyes?”

“Don’t mind him,” Tobio tells him, then turns to Tsukishima. “I’ll text you.”

Tsukishima snorts. “Don’t bother,” he says, and Tobio rolls his eyes. The blonde gives them a careless wave and leaves for the other way.

“Was that you friend?” Oikawa asks as they start walking again. “What a jerk.”

“Sorry. He’s always been like that.”

“But what’s with the King stuff? You're not secretly a royal, are you?”

Tobio scowls, inwardly cursing his stupid friend for bringing that up in front of his boss of all people. “No, it’s just some dumb name he likes to call me. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Oikawa gives him a doubtful look, but thankfully doesn’t press. “Fine. So where are we going now, exactly?”

Tobio stops in his track and tries to think. He just wanted to escape his house earlier, but now that they are out, he realizes he doesn’t really have any destination in mind. “Um… Do you have any place in mind?”

Oikawa rolls his eyes. “Geez, I don’t know Tobio. It’s _your_ city, not mine.”

In the end, they end up walking back to his parents’ house to take their car, and Tobio has to endure an earful ten-minute long whines about how much time they’re wasting earlier by walking around aimlessly on the whole way back.

Tobio drives them around town, showing his old high school, the local gymnasium where they hold the volleyball tournaments, and other trivial things they see along the way. Oikawa demands to visit the tourist spots, so Tobio takes him to see the Aoba Castle ruins next.

It’s only mildly crowded with tourists there considering it’s currently not peak season. Oikawa walks around and looks at everything in awe, taking many pictures with his phone; of the scenery, of himself, and even of Tobio.

“Oikawa-san… Please delete that,” Tobio frowns unhappily when Oikawa shows him the result, one where it captures him about to sneeze, while his boss is cackling like a madman.

“No way!” Oikawa says between laughs, wiping the tears off his eyes. “This is golden! I’m going to frame this in my house. Don’t worry, I’ll send a copy to you for Christmas too.”

Tobio only frowns deeper and grumbles something unintelligible.

Oikawa makes him take pictures of himself posing in front of the historical statues and the beautiful scenery overlooking the whole city, even makes another tourist take a picture of the both of them at one point. When Tobio protests, he only says, “What? Can’t I take a picture with my cute fiancé?”

Tobio absolutely hates the way his cheeks redden at that.

They end up staying there well after lunch time. Tobio makes a quick call to his mother to let her know they won’t be coming back for lunch and would probably be out until dinner time. His mother understands and tells him that it’s okay, and if Tobio notices the all-too-happy lilt in her voice, he chooses to ignore it.

They have a nice and quick lunch at the restaurant there. It’s actually amusing to see his boss enjoying and praising the local foods of his hometown. Tobio just smiles and eats his own quietly, feeling a tad bit nostalgic himself.

After that, Oikawa insists on eating some sweets for dessert, and Tobio has to rake his brain for any dessert cafés in town that he knows of, which is _none_. He shoots a text to Hinata as they walk back to his car, figuring that his best friend is his best chance at finding one.

> **(13.14) Me**
> 
> Do you know any place that sells dessert in Sendai?
> 
> **(13.15) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> I know plenty!
> 
> Why??
> 
> Did u go back without me??!!

Tobio wants to facepalm when he remembered that he’s supposed to go incognito in this trip. But oh well, it’s not like Tsukishima hadn’t caught them earlier. Hinata would know sooner or later anyway.

> **(13.15) Me**
> 
> I’m only here for the weekend. Mom’s birthday’s tomorrow.
> 
> Give me the names, I’ll google it.
> 
> **(13.16) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> U shoulda told me ur going back :(
> 
> Anyways I know 3 places
> 
> Sweets paradise, sweets buffet alice or smth, and café mythique
> 
> **(13.16) Me**
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> **(13.16) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> Why u ask tho? U don’t like sweets??

Tobio ignores the last message and opens up the maps app. The first two cafés sound way too girly for his liking so he goes straight for the last one. He studies the map briefly, finding that it’s actually not far from their current location which is a great plus.

The drive itself only takes about fourteen minutes long. When they arrive there, Tobio lets out a relieved breath, glad to see that the place matches his expectation perfectly without tacky or overly girly decorations in sight. Instead, it gives off a warm and cozy atmosphere with the wooden flooring and the dark tone of the slightly rustic interior. For once, Tobio wants to pat his best friend on the back instead of strangling his neck.

“Nice place!” Oikawa comments, looking around appreciatively. “Ooh, look at those cakes!”

Tobio lets his boss order while he picks a table by the window which grants them the perfect view of the streets and other buildings downtown. He briefly wonders if Hinata has ever really been here before and with whom.

Oikawa joins him moments later and looks out the big windows with a smile. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for someone who likes to go to places like this, Tobio.”

The assistant shakes his head. “I don’t. I knew this place from a friend.”

The brunet just hums. His face immediately lights up when the waitress brings a tray with what appears to be a cup of hot chocolate and a glass of iced tea, only to return moments later with another tray full of three different types of miniature cakes.

“Come on, Tobio, eat up!” he cajoles, immediately reaching for his phone and starts taking pictures of them.

Tobio looks at the colorful sweets with apprehension. “Um… You shouldn’t have ordered for me, Oikawa-san. I don’t really like sweets.”

“I know. But just try some, will you?” Oikawa reaches for one plate and takes a bite of his cake, his eyes wide as he hums appreciatively. “It’s really good!”

The assistant takes a small scoop of the chocolate flavored one a bit unsurely and chews. It’s actually not bad, he has to admit. The sweetness tastes just right against his tongue, something that he doesn’t find often in a chocolate cake, and he finds himself reaching for another scoop. 

Oikawa beams. “It’s good, right? Let me try yours too!”

They end up finishing everything together. Tobio doesn’t remember ever eating this much sweets in a day before, but he surprisingly enjoys them all. He just have to be careful about his sugar intake for the next week and remind himself to increase his workout. 

“Alright, so where to now Tour Guide-kun?” The editor asks when they return to the car.

It’s currently still a couple minutes before three, so Tobio figures they still have plenty of time to visit other places before going back. “Do you want to visit the aquarium?”

The way Oikawa lets out a small snort makes Tobio thinks that it’s a stupid idea, but before he could take back his suggestion, his boss says, “Sure, why not. I heard the aquarium here is one of the largest aquariums in Japan.”

“Really?” Tobio asks, surprised. He turns on the car and begins to drive to the streets. “I mean, it’s pretty big so it’s possible.”

Oikawa clicks his tongue. “Do you not know anything about your own hometown, Tobio? I thought you’re taking me there to show off Sendai’s pride and joy.”

“Not everyone is like you, Oikawa-san.”

The editor huffs petulantly, crossing his arms. “Your attitude is quite unbecoming, Tobio-chan.”

Tobio doesn’t grace him with an answer and just rolls his eyes.

Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium is a little bit farther from the location of the café. Tobio himself hasn’t visited the aquarium since he was probably in middle school, so coming back there brings a pleasant childhood memory with his family, to a time where he was young and naïve and everything was so much simpler. Now Tobio is back here as a fully grown adult, more than a decade later, with his boss turned _fiancé_ whom he isn’t really sure how he should feel about. Life surely has a way of making an unexpected twist like that.

The aquarium is as majestic as ever, the blue lights and the sight of the numerous fishes swimming steadily inside the huge tank gives off a therapeutic vibe that everyone seems to be hypnotized in. Despite having been here twice before, Tobio is almost as in awe as Oikawa is, looking at everything in an almost childish fascination.

Oikawa takes out his phone again for pictures, and Tobio’s gaze is instinctively drawn to him; the way the blue lights illuminate his feature, how it makes his face appear glowing under the light and accentuating his unmasked amazement. The wide smile he has on his face now is one of the rare ones Tobio hasn’t have the privilege to see until today, a happy and stress-free one that shows off his pearly with teeth. 

Tobio is almost entranced by the sight, so he quickly looks away to study the fishes once more. As soon as he does that, he sees the way his boss aims his phone at him from the corner of his eye.

“Oikawa-san, stop that!” Tobio reaches out instinctively to cover the camera, but unfortunately the damage has been done.

Oikawa holds his phone out of his reach and chuckles. “You need to relax, Tobio. It actually turns out pretty good,” he says, showing the result but keeping a safe distance lest Tobio tries anything funny like deleting the picture himself.

 _It is_ good, Tobio thinks to himself. The camera captures his face almost exactly in the way he saw Oikawa earlier, his pose candid and relaxed. The blueish hue from the water is reflected clearly on his face, but that just adds an artistic value to it. But Tobio isn’t going grant him that and chooses his default frown as a response.

They walk around for a while there, examining every exhibit with great interest. It is actually more fitting as a familial recreational place instead of for two grown men on a weekend getaway, but they enjoy their time just the same. Oikawa is exceptionally excited when they see the penguins, taking a million pictures and making strange cooing noises at the small creatures as if he isn’t a 184 centimeters tall grown man nearing his thirty. His boss’ antics catches the attention of the other visitors and their kids, and Tobio feels embarrassed on his behalf.

Tobio’s personal favorite is the jellyfish tank. He spends almost ten minutes alone there, feeling hypnotized by the weirdly squishy-looking creatures and the way their body is glowing in the water, almost like there’s a spark of electricity coursing inside them. It’s beautiful, and Oikawa seems to think so too, standing beside him the entire ten minutes and stares along in awe.

Before they know it, the operator gives an announcement that they will be closing in thirty minutes, so they begrudgingly move along.

“It’s still too early for dinner and we just ate cakes,” Oikawa remarks as they exit the aquarium and walk back to the parking lot, looking at the afternoon sky. “Do you have any other suggestion in mind, Tobio?”

Tobio looks up to follow his line of vision, an idea suddenly pops up in his mind. “We could go the observatory deck and watch the sunset.”

His boss lets out a sharp gasp. “Tobio! That’s so unexpectedly romantic of you!”

The assistant realizes the implication of his suggestion a little too late and blinks dumbly. But he’s already dug his own grave, might as well just lie in it. He still couldn't help the way his cheeks heat up as he splutters, “S-Shut up! Do you want to or not?”

“A romantic evening spent sunset-watching with my dear fiancé? How could I pass that up?” Oikawa says, giving him a shit-eating grin now.

Tobio just picks up his pace and leaves his boss laughing behind.

The AER Observation Terrace is actually located on the side of the town they just came from, only ten minutes away by foot from the café they just visited a couple hours earlier. It’s actually very impractical to drive back there, but oh well, Tobio will make an exception for this once. He will pay for his father’s gas money later.

Tobio has never actually been there before, but he’s heard from Hinata that it’s a great place to see the view of the Sendai skyline, especially at night. With the way he is, Tobio just knows it’s the kind of thing that his boss would probably enjoy.

By the time they arrive at the AER tower, it’s only a couple minutes left to sunset and the sky has turned colors. Oikawa practically drags Tobio out of the car in excitement, urging him to move faster so they won’t miss the sunset.

Well, the view is proven to be pretty spectacular, Tobio thinks as they stand behind the railing. The autumn sky looks exceptionally beautiful in this time of the year. Oikawa has whipped out his phone again, taking pictures and recording everything with it. Judging by the way his boss angles the camera towards him a few times, Tobio thinks Oikawa includes him in those pictures and videos he take. But after failing to stop him the first two times, he decides to just give up and let him be.

Tobio steals a glance at the older man when he’s busy staring at the photos he’s taken, studying the way his feature is illuminated by the streaks of golden and purple hues of the sunset. There is a softer edge to his smile now, completely different from the unadulterated excitement at the aquarium. It’s lighter and more serene, but still doesn’t look any less beautiful on his face. Tobio is amazed at how many new sides of his boss that he gets to discover today.

“I can feel you staring, Tobio,” Oikawa says, not looking up from his phone. “Something on your mind? Or are you just admiring my handsome face?”

Tobio is well aware that Oikawa is only joking, but he _hates_ the way the statement hit him like a nail on the head. He looks away with a huff, “Are you always this vain?”

The brunet laughs softly. “No, Tobio. You’re just an exception.”

 _What does that even mean_ , Tobio wants to say, but he just keeps silent and stares at the city below them. It's so quiet here. He kind of wishes that the windows weren’t in their way so he could feel the refreshing breeze of the autumn wind against his face, and maybe even see the way it plays with Oikawa’s brown locks.

Wait, what the hell? Why does his mind keep turning back to the man beside him? 

Tobio rests his forearms against the railing and leans forward, ducking his face into the neck of the black hoodie he’s wearing. He’s suddenly too hyperaware of the fact that he’s currently spending the evening sunset-watching with the man he is supposed to despise yet also used to have a stupid crush on. They’ve been practically joined on the hip for the last two days, and Tobio doesn’t even know what to feel about that anymore.

It’s just a stupid deal, he tries to reason. Like doing a favor for a friend even, if he’s feeling more charitable. He would even get a nice promotion in return. But he doesn’t know why the lines between professionalism and _something more_ keep getting blurrier with every minute they spend together. Tobio might as well have crossed the line already without realizing it. 

“Thanks for taking me around today,” Oikawa says suddenly, eyes trained on the light of the cars on the streets below. “I had a fun time. It’s been a while since I get to relax like this.”

Tobio knows that even without Oikawa telling him. His boss is probably the most hardworking person he knows, often staying up late in the office well after everyone else has gone home, and he probably doesn’t even stop to enjoy the weekend on the regular. It’s like he’s either constantly chasing or running away from something that Tobio can’t see, or even something that probably Oikawa himself can’t see.

“It’s nothing,” he replies, trying to downplay it, but finding himself really meaning it. “Can I ask you something?”

“Mhm.”

“Why are you so against getting married?” Tobio could see the way his boss stiffens slightly at his blunt question, probably not expecting it. “You said your parents have set you up with many people, but they can’t be all that bad.”

Oikawa lets out a deep sigh. “It’s not that I’m against getting married per se. I just don’t like the way most people, like my parents, see marriage as if it’s some kind of the ultimate life goal for them. Like your life won’t be fulfilled until you get married. It’s stupid.”

If he puts it like that, Tobio could see where he’s coming from and he finds himself agreeing with his point. Marriage is nowhere near the top of his priorities either.

“Honestly, I don’t even know what they expect from having me get married so soon. It’s not like I’ll be able to give them any grandchild if I were to get married for real with you. Unless, adopting obviously.”

Tobio is quiet as he processes this. He briefly wonders if his parents are silently expecting a grandchild from him as well. “But do you want to get married eventually?” he asks again.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” the brunet replies vaguely. “I love my job, though. I’m not going to sacrifice it for just about anyone.”

“I think that makes sense. You shouldn’t marry someone who would make you choose between your job and them.”

There is a pause, and Tobio begins to wonder if he’s said something wrong when Oikawa suddenly turns to him, grinning. “Tobio-chan is so wise, isn’t he?”

Tobio scowls. His boss just had to ruin it when he tries to take him seriously for once. “You promised you’d stop that, but you broke it three times already.”

“I guess old habits die hard,” his boss shrugs indifferently, not even bothering to hide his blatant lie. 

The assistant just rolls his eyes, feeling like he should have known better anyway. “Do you want to get dinner somewhere or are you ready to go back now?” he asks instead, noticing that the sky has grown darker now.

“Dinner first, of course. Can’t have this date ending early after all,” Oikawa says with a cheeky wink.

“This isn't a date!”

* * *

… _Or was it?_ Tobio thinks again as he is lying on the bed in his sister’s room later that night after having driven them back to his parents’ house. But how could it be called a date when it’s just a part of the deal?

Then he realizes where the problem lies.

_It wasn’t part of the deal._

Tobio has _willingly_ taken Oikawa sightseeing around town. His boss didn’t even demand anything before Tobio dragged him out of the house out of _his own volition._ He only asked him where they were going and Tobio just up and decided that he would take the older man to see the places he grew up in. For once, Oikawa has just been following him around today, not the other way around.

That is… almost too much to absorb in one day. Feelings, sentimentality, and everything that relates to it have never been his strongest suit. Hinata has always said that he’s way too stiff and awkward around people so that’s probably why. Maybe he should be talking about this with Hinata. His best friend could be surprisingly helpful when he least expected it and could probably help him sort out this mess.

Tobio reaches for his phone, intending to text his best friend that they would have to meet as soon as he got back to Tokyo, only to find multiple rows of messages flooding his phone from the small group chat he has with his closest friends.

What the hell. He hasn’t checked his phone after his last text with Hinata this afternoon, so he wasn’t aware that he’s apparently missed what appears to be a pretty important topic of discussion, judging by the number of notifications he received. Opening the group chat, he begins to scroll from all the way up.

> **(14.07) Tsukishima Kei**
> 
> _Sent a photo._

_Oh,_ all the ruckus is apparently about him, he realizes, and Tobio curses audibly. The picture is of him and Oikawa on the streets, most likely taken after Tsukishima _pretended_ to leave, that bastard.

> **(14.07) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> WHAT
> 
> IS THAT
> 
> KAGEYAMA? AND WHO???
> 
> **(14.08) Yamaguchi Tadashi**
> 
> Huh?
> 
> Kageyama is back?
> 
> **(14.09) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> He looks familiar
> 
> I think I’ve seen him before
> 
> **(14.12) Yamaguchi Tadashi**
> 
> Tsukki when did you get this
> 
> **(14.20) Tsukishima Kei**
> 
> This morning
> 
> **(14.25) Yamaguchi Tadashi**
> 
> What
> 
> Kageyama where are you?
> 
> Why didn’t you tell us you were coming back?
> 
> **(14.27) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> Yeah!! Ur being secretive for 0 reason
> 
> Did u ask me the café names bc u wanna take him there???
> 
> **(14.30) Tsukishima Kei**
> 
> He did what
> 
> **(14.34) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> He suddenly asked me abt places that sell sweets in sendai and I was so confused bc he doesn’t even like them??
> 
> **(14.37) Yamaguchi Tadashi**
> 
> I don’t understand anything rn
> 
> **(14.39) Tsukishima Kei**
> 
> King, are you on a fucking date with your boss?
> 
> **(14.39) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> ARE U ON A DATE YAMAYAMA-KUN
> 
> Wait BOSS??!!
> 
> OH MY GOD UR RIGHT IT’S THE GRAND KING
> 
> **(14.45) Yamaguchi Tadashi**
> 
> Huh date?
> 
> Grand king?
> 
> **(14.48) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> Yea!! He’s the king’s boss so that makes him the grand king right??
> 
> **(14.55) Yamaguchi Tadashi**
> 
> Wait I thought Kageyama hates his boss?
> 
> **(14.56) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> I THOUGHT SO TOO
> 
> Kageyama always says he's an asshole!
> 
> **(15.00) Yamaguchi Tadashi**
> 
> I REALLY don’t understand anything rn
> 
> **(15.03) Tsukishima Kei**
> 
> This is fucking golden
> 
> **(15.05) Hinata Shoyo**
> 
> KAGEYAMAAA
> 
> OI BAKAGEYAMA
> 
> EXPLAIN

Tobio groans, knowing he is going to get an earful the second he meets either of them. Even if he flees to Tokyo, he still can’t escape the impending hurricane in the form of his best friend there. Forget about sorting out his feelings, Tobio is _not_ going to tell Hinata shit.

> **(21.02) Me**
> 
> Mind your own fucking business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, all the places mentioned here are real places in Miyagi so you could google them for better visualizations!


End file.
